Blue Orchid is Huckleberry’s house espresso blend. We serve this coffee every day in our cafes, and it is designed to be approachable, both as espresso and as a brewed coffee, with and without milk. If you’ve ever had a great latte experience at one of Huckleberry’s cafes, Blue Orchid was the base.

While the Blue Orchid blend does change frequently, we try to maintain a sweet, full-bodied, chocolate and caramel flavor profile by using Central and South American coffees specifically chosen for those qualities. This is great tasting comfort coffee, and is a well-rounded crowd pleaser, especially if some of that crowd likes cream in their cup, or is still making the transition from darker roast profiles into specialty coffee. We love intense floral aromatics, but some mornings we just want the chocolate, toffee, and a bit of milk in our mug, and for those days, Blue Orchid is our go-to.

The current version of Blue Orchid is a blend of Brazil Fazenda Cachoera de Grama and a washed coffee grown by smallholders in Huila, Colombia.

Burundi Gitwe Natural

This is Huckleberry's fifth year working with the Long Miles Coffee Project in the Muramvya province of Burundi, and our third year roasting a natural-processed fruitbomb from Gitwe hill.

Unlike our other Long Miles coffees and prior years of Gitwe Natural, this lot does not come from the numerous smallholder farms on Gitwe, but from Long Miles' new model farm on the top of the hill. This farm is still a community effort, but is meant to be a place where the Carlson family can model best practices and try experiments that might be too costly or expensive for one of the group's member farmers to undertake on their own. This particular lot comes from the 32nd day of the 2017 harvest.

Naturals - which are dried in the coffee cherry instead of washed of their fruit first - are tough to produce well, and easy to mess up. It was actually illegal to export naturals from Burundi until just a few years ago. Luckily for us, Long Miles began experimenting before legalization, and the naturals from Gitwe have been a home run.

We've been loving our washed lot from Gitwe, and this natural lot is a banger, too. It bursts with the juicy strawberry we've come to expect from the best Ethiopian naturals, but also packs some of the hallmarks of our favorite washed Burundis. We taste a bit of sweet-savory complexity, honey, and bubblegum flavors to complement the fruit-forward strawberry and melon sweetness.

Burundi Gitwe Washed

It kinda makes us feel old to say it, but this is the fifth year in a row that Huckleberry has roasted coffees from the Long Miles Coffee Project in Burundi. Each year the coffees seem to get better.

To be honest, the first year with Long Miles was rough. Three years ago Colline Ninga raised the bar, and two years ago both Colline Ninga washed and Gitwe Natural were excellent. This is the second year we’ll bring a triple threat of three great coffees from these growers in the hills (collines, in French) of Burundi's Muramvya province. We'll roll out another washed lot from Colline Ninga and a natural from Gitwe a bit later this winter, but first up is a delicious washed coffee from growers on the Gitwe hill.

Burundi has produced coffee for quite some time, but the country's progression towards producing high quality specialty coffee was interrupted in the 1990s and early 2000s by political unrest and ethnic violence, some of which spilled over the border from Rwanda during and after that country's genocide. Despite the continued threat of political instability, and the challenges of being a poor, landlocked country, farmers from Burundi are successfully improving their coffee each and every year, and specialty coffee's higher prices seem to have a major impact on quality of life in the country's coffee growing regions. Moreover, we love the flavors of a great coffee from Burundi.

The Long Miles Coffee Project was founded by Ben and Kristy Carlson, an American couple living in Burundi. Upon seeing the difficulties Muramvya farmers faced while Ben was working as a coffee trader, the Carlsons built two washing stations in the region, and have worked with area farmers to help them fetch better prices. By working with the farmers to develop stringent quality practices at the farm level, then washing and milling the coffee with meticulous care, Long Miles is able to ensure that the coffee is of the highest quality possible. By working with Huckleberry and other roasters who commit to coffees before they've shipped from Burundi, the Long Miles Coffee Project is able to pay the farmers a higher price for their coffee than they would receive on the open market and from other washing stations.

Gitwe is a specific hill near Long Miles' Heza washing station and this coffee comes exclusively from the Long Miles farmers living on that hill. We tasted several lots from Gitwe this year, and were most impressed with this day lot from the 38th day of harvest, with notes of date, brown sugar, peach, and candied citrus. It’s sweet, it’s complex, and we think it’s hella delicious.

Coffee of the Month: Ethiopia Debo

It's pronounced like the band, but with a b instead of a v, and we have a gut feeling you'll like it. Coffee of the month for August!

Debo is the first in our line of 2018 Ethiopian coffees, and we're gonna be slamming it all summer. It's bright, floral, complex, and refreshing, perfect for the hot weather over the next few months.

Many of us coffee nerds gush about Ethiopia - it's the birthplace of arabica coffee, and has more genetic diversity in its coffee than any other country on earth. There's something undeniably romantic about that. But it's also undeniable that the genetic diversity contributes to flavors that are unique and only found in Ethiopia, and wildly different from one part of the country to the next.

This particular coffee comes from the Kochere woreda (roughly, village) in Yirgacheffe, arguably one of the most famous and prized regions of the country. We at Huck tend to fall in love with at least two Yirgs each year - the clean floral and citric flavors predominant tend to put these coffees at the top of our cuppings each year. Smallholder farmers in Kochere deliver their coffee cherry to the Debo washing station, where it is depulped and dried on raised beds.

Among the first wave of Ethiopia arrivals this year, Debo stood out. The florals are undeniable, and it tastes like juicy stonefruit, watermelon, and sweet limeade. Is it the best coffee paired with milk? Maybe not. But it is delicious on its own, and we'll be brewing it both hot and iced throughout the sunny days of summer.

Costa Rica Santa Maria

$ 17.00

Size

Size

12 oz

2 lb

5 lb

Qty

Santa Maria is back, and is one of two coffees from the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Dota (CoopeDota) we'll roast this year. While El Cedral Natural is stunning and fruit-forward, Santa Maria is more subtle, but equally delicious. This washed coffee exudes balance while maintaining complexity, and showcases why great washed Central American coffees are among the most versatile and easy to drink.

Santa Maria has milk-friendly flavors of almond pastry and maple syrup, while also packing plenty of grape-like fruity complexity and balanced apple brightness. Costa Rica has been a global leader in the push for a more sustainable coffee trade, and within Costa Rica, CoopeDota has been a leader among producers. In 2011 the cooperative produced the world's first certified carbon neutral coffee, and is known for its work to reduce both its carbon and water footprints.

To that aim, while this coffee tastes like a washed coffee, it's actually eco-pulped. Most washed coffees use fermentation and a whole lot of water to remove the coffee seed's inner fruit (mucilage) before drying. CoopeDota forgoes the fermentation breakdown of that sugary fruit, and runs its coffee through a machine called an EcoPulper, which uses dramatically less water than traditional washing.

All in all, as our head of education David Fasman learned while visiting the cooperative in 2017, reducing water use throughout the coffee's journey is a point of pride for CoopeDota. We're super excited to showcase CoopeDota's coffees again in 2018 - not just because the cooperative is a leader in sustainable practices, but also because the coffee is damn tasty. Santa Maria has a lot going for it - fruity pop, milk-friendly nuttiness, creamy body and depth. This coffee is going to be a go to for us in the mornings while warming up the roaster, on Fetco at our cafes, and makes for a delicious single origin espresso, too.

Ethiopia Ardi

$ 21.00

Size

Size

12 oz

2 lb

5 lb

Qty

We're almost at the point where we're losing track, but this is the sixth year roasting Ardi! This is our favorite natural year after year, and our 2018 lot is loaded with the in-your-face fruit and subtle chocolate we've come to expect, and also packs some lovely florality. We're stoked to have one of our all time favorites back in the quiver!

Coffee is the seed of a fruit, and most of the coffee we roast and drink is washed - that is, the fruit is removed from the seed before drying. For Ardi and other natural-process coffees, the coffee is dried with the fruit still intact, and the dried cherry is removed during milling. This process imparts a uniquely fruity, jammy quality to the coffee, though improper and uneven drying carries a distinct risk of off, funky flavors and early fading.

Our importer, Samuel Demisse of Keffa Coffee, works directly with Israel Degefa's washing station in the town of Kilenso Mokonisa, Sidama to ensure that Ardi is picked and processed to the most exacting standards. Approximately 1500 farmers contributed to Ardi, and 200 women carefully manage the coffee’s drying process, removing over- or under-ripe cherries and constantly rotating the cherries to ensure evenness. Ardi is dried on raised beds to start, but unlike most Ethiopian coffees, finished on concrete patios for the final few days of drying.

This year's crop has all of the juicy mixed berries and milk chocolate we've come to expect from Ardi, but is one of the most complex versions of this coffee we've had yet. We're also tasting lavender and guava, and we're not complaining about it. Juicy, fruity, and jammy, and one of our all-time favorites!

Kenya Gathanji

$ 20.00

Size

Size

12 oz

2 lb

5 lb

Qty

We look forward to new Kenyas every year, and our first of 2018 is Gathanji, from smallholder farmers in Kiambu County. The farmers who grow this coffee are members of the New Gatanga Farmers Cooperative Society, and deliver their coffee to the cooperative's Gathanji factory (washing station). It's juicy, it's delicious and complex, it's perfect for summer weather.

What makes Kenyan coffee unique? As is the case everywhere, altitude, soil, good picking and good farming practices all contribute to the best coffees. But Kenya also has variety and processing to set it apart. The Kenyan government worked with Scott Labs in the mid-20th century to select (NOT genetically-modify) varieties that are particularly well-suited to drought conditions and capable of producting high cup quality. The two best-known, SL28 and SL34 are particularly known for their high end brightness and red berry or currant flavors.

Additionally, Kenyan factories (washing stations) separate their coffee by screen size, and wash their coffees in a unique manner. The factories double-wash the coffees, and soak the coffees again before drying, which contribute to extremely clean flavors and the development of amino acids for complexity in the cup.

Many Kenyan coffees are purchased by internationally-owned exporting firms through the country's auction system. This system does help coffees attain high prices at the auction table, but the numerous layers and foreign hands in the process often mean that little goes back to the farmers themselves. We purchased Gathanji through Royal Coffee in Oakland. Royal works outside of the auction system, and partners with Kenya Co-operative Coffee Exporters, an export firm owned by the Kenyan farmers who contribute the coffee. This helps ensure that the farmers themselves receive a greater portion of the coffee's final price.

Gathanji is a dynamic and sweet cup, with all of the fruity complexity we love in great washed Kenyas. We taste red currant, bright green grape, rich and subtly spicy molasses, and tropical fruit. To paraphrase Run the Jewels, the answer is Gathanji, the question is "What's poppin'?"

Mexico Triunfo Verde

$ 17.00

Size

Size

12 oz

2 lb

5 lb

Qty

This is the first year that Huckleberry has roasted coffee from the Triunfo Verde Cooperative, but the group has always been on our radar. The growers that make up Triunfo Verde have been at the forefront of quality coffee and sustainable growing practices in Southwest Mexico for way longer than Huckleberry has been a company.

“Triunfo Verde” translates to “Green Triumph,” and sustainable, organic farming practices have been at the group’s core since it was founded in 1999. The 486 farmers in the cooperative are based around the outskirts of the Triunfo Verde Nature Reserve in Chiapas, and are proud stewards of the diversity and environment in that reserve.

This particular lot comes from growers who are newer to the cooperative, and transitioning to certified organic. This means that the farmers are using organic practices, but the certification process can take up to 7 years.

Triunfo Verde is a crowd-pleaser for sure. Approachable, with no surprises and mellower acidity, and friendly as can be for milk. We taste walnut, milk chocolate, dried plum, and honey.

Looking for a good coffee for a crowd? Adding a bit of cream? Triunfo Verde is the ticket. If you always lean towards the bright, in-your-face-coffees from East Africa, we have other coffees that will fit that niche, but if you’re looking for a mellower cup with fewer surprises, this Mexico is for you.

Mixer Sixer: Coffee Sample Pack

$ 45.00

Qty

We like variety. One of the things we celebrate is the diversity of flavor in the world of coffee, and we always seek to offer a range of coffees to showcase all the different ways that coffee can be delicious.

We figured it was high time to give folks a chance to try the range in a fun, diverse, and tasty package. Since we know it's tough to brew through more than one or two 12 ounce bags in a given month, we downsized our bags to a more reasonable 5 ounces and dropped six of them into a gift-friendly package designed by our friend Ross Evertson (@thestudioitself). We think it's the perfect gift for the nerdiest coffee nerd in your life, a great way to spice mornings up for a couple weeks before heading out the door for work, a chance to see which of our subscriptions might be best for you in the long run, or if you're new to Huckleberry, a great way to see what we're about.

From the comforting, chocolate-forward and approachable flavors of Blue Orchid, to sweet and balanced Latin American single origins, to floral and bright jaw-droppers from East Africa, we seek to highlight the inherent sweetness and unique qualities in each of our coffees and promise that each of these boxes will pack a diverse array of flavors.

We will not include a packing list or price sheet in these boxes, perfect for gift-giving. If you would like us to include a short note on your box for the recipient, please send an email to info@huckleberryroasters.com after placing your order.

Again, each box includes 6 x 5 oz bags of coffee. We encourage you to taste the rainbow, and use these as a launching point for experimentation or narrowing down your personal preferences. There will be a variety of roast and flavor profiles present in each box. We can't guarantee that each coffee will be 100% your jam, and that's kinda the point, but we think that they're all tasty in their own special way.

Phantom Limb is the wilder of Huckleberry’s two blends. We designed the Phantom Limb to focus on fruit-forward flavors that one might not expect from a traditional espresso or drip blend.

Phantom Limb is an Ethiopian showcase, highlighting both natural and washed coffees from the country. Phantom Limb will taste great as espresso and drip, but is intended to showcase the unexpected, unique flavors of its components - jam and berries from the natural process and the lemonade, clean, floral goodness we love in washed Ethiopians - rather than adhere to anyone’s idea of a “traditional” espresso. If you want to think about it in terms of candy, Blue Orchid is your Tootsie Roll or Milky Way, Phantom is your bag of Jolly Ranchers or pack of Starbursts.

Even though we tend to use Phantom Limb as espresso in the two Huckleberry cafes, most often for straight shots and the smaller milk beverages, it’ll still taste great as a brewed coffee at home. Expect jammy, fruity sweetness, tangy brightness, and a syrupy body.

Current Blend: All from the Guji area of Sidama, Ethiopia: Sidama Guji Natural and Sidama Guji Gr 1 Washed.

Many people suffer from phantom pain, limb loss or limb difference (including customers of ours) and therefore with every purchase of this blend we try to raise awareness and money by donating a portion of proceeds to local amputee support organizations. All of our coffee blends are named after songs that have significance for our company's history. Phantom Limb is a song by The Shins that was one of the first conversations that Koan and Mark ever had.

Here's a link to one of the three organizations that this blend supports.

We love coffee for a lot of reasons. We love the flavors of a cup that's been sourced, roasted, and brewed with care, and we love sitting down with friends and a few mugs. Most of the time, we love that subtle kick of caffeine, too.

Sometimes though, we like to have a bit of coffee when we're already way too wide awake, so offering a great decaffeinated coffee is important to us at Huckleberry. Skeleton Key is the same decaf coffee that we serve in both of our Huckleberry's cafes, and we're finally bagging it for you to bring home and enjoy after dinner, or whenever you're craving coffee without the jitters.

Skeleton Key is a seasonally-rotating coffee chosen for versatility, with chocolatey and nutty sweetness and a round body. It works well as espresso or drip, with or without milk, and we only use Swiss Water Processed or Mountain Water Processed beans.

The current version of Skeleton Key is a Mountain Water Processed coffee from Peru.

Bowie's pretty much always the right choice. And while there are plenty of moments when we reach for that Misfits record and a cup of bright Kenyan coffee or some NSFW early 90's gangsta rap and a cup of slightly savory coffee from Sulawesi, we also value both music and coffee that's always the right choice, no matter the audience. Something that'll please both the classic rock fans and the hipsterest hipsters. In our blend lineup, that’s where Sound & Vision comes in. It’s not quite as poppy and in-your-face as Phantom Limb or many of our single origins, but we also wanted to give folks a bit more intrigue than tried-and-true Blue Orchid.

So, we’ve started out with a chocolatey, full-bodied Latin American base very similar to Blue Orchid, and kicked it up just a tiny bit with a small amount of natural-processed Ethiopian goodness. A tiny bit of fruit and brightness to keep the more discerning palates satisfied, but also plenty of comforting, traditional flavors for folks who want their coffee to taste “bold” or “like coffee, damnit.” Confident on its own, but also plays very well with milk.

Do you like cold brew, too? This also happens to be the blend that we use in our kegged cold brew, so if you’re too far away for us to deliver a keg, don’t have a tap system, or just want to do it yourself for any other reason, Sound & Vision is our go-to cold brew suggestion. What about espresso? We're pulling shots of S+V as our house espresso at our Dairy Block café in downtown Denver. Whether it's a shot, a cup full of ice, or a filter brew for a crowd, Sound and Vision is an easy choice.

Sulawesi Tana Toraja

$ 18.00

Size

Size

12 oz

2 lb

5 lb

Qty

Tana Toraja is one of those coffees that has the potential to change one's preconceptions about an entire growing region. This coffee comes to us from the town of Tana Toraja, on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, and is one of the cleanest, most pleasant Indonesian coffees we've tried to date. This coffee has the full body and subtle spiciness that lovers of other Indonesian coffees will enjoy, but also has a clean, chocolate and cola sweetness that is a welcome surprise.

The farmers around the community of Tana Toraja bring their coffee cherry to a centralized wet mill called TOARCO, where it is processed using a washing technique more similar to Central America than most other parts of Indonesia. Tana Toraja is dried slowly, in its parchment, rather than wet-hulled. The process of removing coffee's parchment - a final, husk-like layer covering the bean - before drying, does accelerate drying in Indonesia's humid climate, but also contributes to musty, earthy flavors and premature fading of the beans' better qualities. By leaving the parchment on, and slowing down the drying process, TOARCO helps create flavors that we at Huckleberry strongly prefer.

Tana Toraja is an outstanding coffee that will please coffee drinkers who love big, full-bodied Indonesian coffees, but will also be a great option folks who tend to prefer clean and sweet Central American coffees. It's a crowd pleaser, too. We love drinking it black, but this coffee's rich flavors and heavy mouthfeel also hold up well to a bit of milk or cream.